WEDNESDAY @ CAPE TOWN FASHION WEEK /// AND SO IT BEGINS

Firstly i must put it out there; I fucking looooove fashion weeks. Besides the catwalk I love them for so many other reasons, i love them for the kids who get laughed at all year for their crazy outfits but for a few days are considered Queens & Kings of style (mostly queens),  i love them for the socialites who won't dare come to a show unless they are guaranteed front row seats, i love them because anything behind front row is considered a separate planet from front row, i love them for frienemies, i love them for germ-free air kisses, i love them because they're called fashion week, all four days of it, i love them for glamour borne out of therapy-level self-esteem issues, i love them for the glamouri who look down on those who actually had to buy their tickets, i love them i love them i love them. I swear if the banks were to make the mistake of letting me near a credit card again i'd be chasing fashion weeks all over the show, fuck i'd even got to the P.E. one. Of course there is the little matter of 'business of fashion', unfortunately and quite often a showing at a fashion week does not necessarily mean future success for designers. But that's a subject for bloggers/writers that are more skilled and informed than i. Me i just love it all. I guess you could say i'm fooled by the rocks. Today I went to check out the student ranges at the 'fastrack' event which is aimed at helping fashion students get into the industry. The pics are above are a selection from some of the ranges. Unfortunately i could only pop in for an hour at 18h00, but the event actually started way earlier at 14h00 and i'm sure there was a whole lot more. The event was open to the public and whilst there were sprinklings of the fashionista/o, the crowd was generally umm... well...beautiful in a pedestrian sort of way. My lens can't wait till tomorrow when the main shows start and the fashion crowd descend upon the CTICC. I hope to see you there skat, even if you have to buy a ticket. Faux or real, glamour is good for you, i prefer mine faux.

TUESDAY @ MICHAELIS ALUMNI EXHIBITION

So before last night, that is before i made the commitment to check out the 'Michaelis Alumni and Staff Exhibition and Auction', i had sort of been contemplating joining the 'Equal Education Candlelight Vigil outside Parliament', i was touched by Cape Town hipsterkind's facebook comittment to the event. As we all know, you can't rely on people clicking "i'm attending" on facebook to gauge attendance. Sadly, when i drove past parliament on my way to Michaelis it looked pretty empty, i hope it's not a case of "it just wasn't hip enough for all them facebook false promises", maybe it was just the lack of free wine. Obviously wherever you are in the world people can be unreliable but Cape town's hipsterkind are notoriously fickle. I didn't drive back to parliament after the exhibition but i hope it all worked out, we really do need to sort out the education situation in this country.However, last night my friend and partner in crime Marcii told me about the exhibition tonight at Michaelis so i had to make a decision. i felt a bit guilty, seriously you can't beat a night vigil for equal education. I chose Michaelis eventually and thankfully when i got there my friend and Michaelis lecturer Andrew Lamprecht reminded me that tonight's event was also socially responsible because all the work on show from Michaelis Alumni was being auctioned and the dosh would go towards bursaries and scholarships at the school, and i must say if i was a little better at saving money and my car didn't need immediate attention i would have spent a bit of money on the art, nothing washes away guilty stains quite like money. Oh well, at least they had free wine.

OUT & ABOUT AND NOWHERE IN PARTICULAR

THURSDAY @ PICTURE BOOKS LAUNCH

Firstly i must admit that among other things i'm also fairly ignorant about a lot of shit, mostly blissfully so. But fortunately i find myself in situations where i learn a little more everyday. Today I went to check out the launch of 3 picture books at Warren Editions printmaking studio. The picture books are visual narratives in book format, telling stories without the use of words. The 3 books feature the works of 3 Cape Town artists/Illustrators, Michael Taylor, Jean de Wet and Jordan Metcalf. Ignorant me i thought picture books were just for kids, but as it turns when in the right hands they can be desirable works of art for adults. 150 of each were printed and they are R350 each or a R1000 for all 3. Check out their website if you want to know more, better yet if you're in Cape Town try and get to the studio to check out the books. They are actually quite nice, i have my eye on the 'The Gifted' by Michael Taylor. Apparently picture books are quite popular in Europe, makes sense then that they should be launched in Cape Town, Europe is after all Cape Town's favourite wet dream. 

WEDNESDAY /// McREDEMPTION

Tonight i went to check out an opening at the iArt Gallery and another at the Erdmann Contemporary around the corner from iArt. It was a typically enjoyable evening peppered with the usual kisses on cheeks, brief conversation plus one or two promises to do coffee/lunch/dinner soon, and the occassional unfortunate faux leather biker jacket. Faux leather, so shiny, so flammable. My only regret was that i missed tonight's opening at Blankproject Gallery. I feel as though i should write a little blurb about the evening, possibly an entertaining one, but last night i went to a friend's dinner party and and drank way too much cheap red wine, had too much fun for a school night and now i feel horribly sorry for myself, i always get the worst babalas. so i fear that if i wrote much do to with tonight it would all be swimming in self-pity and terribly unentertaining. Online expressions of moments of depression are horribly unattractive and boring, not to mention desperate. Along with the religious ones i have unfriended a few people on facebook because of their self-indulgent cry-for-help status updates, fucking call a suicide line already. thankfully, there's a McDonalds drive-thru close to my place, and junk food is still the best remedy for a hangover. so i think i'll drown my sorrows in a supersized happy McMeal accompanied by a sugar-free beverage, and i think it's okay if i don't make a note of this one in my food diary.

GOTTA LOVE A BIT OF EXCESSIVE BRANDING

"Me by me for me by me in collaboration with me for me by me". You've just got to love fashion.

FRIDAY @ THE MOUNT NELSON

....AND LATER AT EVOL.

BEST APRON EVER /// LOADING BAY

Askies skat but i'm totally gonna sound like a typical blogger (yes they irritate me too). Here goes: *in high pitched voice* I die for these leather aprons. No really skat i do, fucking bury me now. They belong to Jon-Paul Bolus (the darker denim shirt), owner of Loading Bay at the Waterkant. Thanks to the know-all i share apartment and bed with, i also found out that Jon-Paul was voted GQ best dressed for 2009. And to think i just happened to pop in there for coffee (beer) and free superfast internet. Thank goodness i got over my poser ways and i'm not a vegan anymore (only lasted 6 months, that's 3yrs if you speak poser) or i'd be forced to feel funny about dead cows becoming aprons, but you must admit it's a stylish afterlife, tasty too if you like steak. Love love love *in blogger voice*